Coupling.



W. M. SMITH.

COUPLING.

APPLIOATION IILEIDJAN. s, 1912.

1,026,716. Patented May 21,1912.

-\ W \m. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES W W. M. SMITH.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1912.

Patented May 21, 1912 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Aflorney W. M. SMITH. COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1912. 1,026,716. Patented May 21, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W1 TNESSES WILLIAM M. SMITH, 0F BASTROP,

LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO H. FLOOD MADISON, OF BASTROP,LOUISIANA.

COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed January 3, 1912. Serial N 0. 669,261.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bast-ro-p, in the parish of Morehouse and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCouplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway rolling stock, and more particularlyto couplers for the same.

An object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallycoupling the train line pipe between the cars.

Another object is to provide an automatic coupler for the train linepipe so that the same will be automatically connected between the carsas the latter are brought together.

Another object is to provide a train line pipe coupler which will actautomatically as the cars are coupled or uncoupled.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and pointedout in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure 1, is a side elevational view of the coupler in locked-position,showing said coupler suspended below the ordinary car coupler. Fig. 2,is a fragmentary bottom plan view, showing the guide fingers and fingerdirecting plates carried by the interlocking members of the train linecoupler. F ig, 3, is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.Fig. 1, is a horizontal longitudinal" section through one of theinterlocking train line pipe coupler members, showing the same inunlocked position. Fig. 5, is a detail view of the inner cup of one ofthe coupler members, and parts carried thereby. Fig. 6, is an enlargedsectional view on the line 66, Fig. 1. Fig. 7, is'an end view of one ofthe coupler members in locked position, looking into the member andshowing in dotted lines the position of the locking tongue and lookingfingers when said member is in locked ings in which similar referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1represents the draw bars pivoted to the trucks and projecting beyond theends thereof, carrying the car coupler members 2 upon their projectingends for interlocking engagement with one another. The draw bars 1 maybe pivotally or otherwise secured to the car trucks, as may be desired.

Depending from each draw bar 1, a short distance inwardly of the carcoupler member 2 carried thereby, is a U-shaped guide 3, having itsupper ends secured through the draw bar 1, with nuts 4 or othersecuring, means, upon the upper extremity of said guide. Projecting overthe lower curved portion 5 of the guide wheels is the fastening staple 6which also passes over the horizontal portion 7 of the guide brace, thearms 8 of which are bent a' short distance from the horizontal portion 7to extend upwardly and rearwardly toward the rear or inner end of thedraw bar 1. The upper extremities of the arms 8 are bent at an angle andsecured to the under side of the draw bar 1, by the securing means 9, aswill be clearly understood. I have shown the arms 8 as slightlyconverging toward their upper ends. The connecting staple 6 serves toconnect the lower curved portion 5 of the U- shaped guide with thehorizontal portion 7 of the brace for said guide and the parallel endsof the staple are connected by the washer plate 10 which prevents saidstaple from working off of the guide and bracing members and thusallowing said parts to separate.

Working between the parallel arms of each guide 3 are the parallel rods11, the inner ends of which are connected by a vertically positionedconnecting bar 12, while the outer cup 13 of one of the train line pipecoupler members is secured between the outer ends of said rods, with theopen end of the cup positioned outwardly, the rods 11 being secured uponthe outerside of the cup.

Projecting rearwardly from each cup 13 is the valve cylinder 14 havingits rear end closed by the plug 15. The cylinder 14 is continued throughthe thick closed end 16 of the cup 13, in the form of a sleeve 17 havinginternal spiral threads 18, the purpose of which will presently appear.The valve cylinder 14 is provided with the valve positionf Fig. 8, is adetail fragmentary section on the line 88, Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a similarview on the line 99 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated by thearrow.

Referring more particularly to the drawopening 19 and the nipple 20projecting at an angle to the-cylinder, from around the opening 19. Thenipple 20 is to accommodate the end of a flexible hose 21 from the trainlinevpipe (not shown). The greater portion of the interior of thecylinder 14 has the rubber packing 22 secured thereagainst with, anopening 23 opposite the opening 19. The packing 22 is secured to theinterior of the cylinder 14 and prevents escape of air from thecylinder, except through the opening 19.

Working within each outer cup 13 is an inner cup 24 which isconsiderably smaller in diameter than the outer cup 13 and has acircumferential flange 25 projecting on a plane with the flat bottom ofthe cup, said flange and bottom combined having a diameter slightlysmaller than the interior of the outer cup to allow free movement of thesame within said outer cup. Projecting from the bottom of the inner cup24 is the sleeve 26 which is provided with the ex- 'terior spiralthreads 27 for engagement 5 with the internal spiral threads 18 to causethe inner cup 24 to rotate as it moves within the outer cup 13. Asuitable coil spring 28 is positioned within the outer cup 13 and hasone end pressing against the bottom of said outer cup, while its otherend is pressed against the bottom of the inner cup and resiliently holdsthe inner cup in its outermost or unlocked position. This spring acts asa valve closing and inner cup controlling spring as will presentlyappear. The inner cup 24 is also provided with a sleeve 29 within saidcup, said sleeve stopping short inwardly .of the edge of the cup. Thesleeve 29 is practically a continuation of the sleeve 26, it beingunderstood that the proper size opening is provided through thebot-tom'of the cup to allow the valve tube 30 to work through thesleeves 29 and 26 and through the rubber cylinder packing 22. The valvetube 30 has its rear end closed and a nut 31 positioned thereoverrearwardly of the cylinder packing 22 and adapted for engagement againstthe rear end thereof to limit the outer movement of the valve tube 30The outer end of the valve tube 30 is opened and a cylindrical flat head32 is carried by said outer end and adapted for engagement against theouter end of the sleeve 29 to limit the inward movement of the tube andto also force the inner cup 24 inwardly to its locked positionduring theinward movement of the valve tube 30.

The valve tube 30 is provided withan opening 33 which is adapted toregister wit-h the openings 19 and .23 when said valve tube is in itsrearward position to allow air from the flexible tube 21 to enter theValve tube and travel through the corres onding valve tube 30 of theother air cou- 65 p er member, when the heads 32 of both valve tubes 30are engaged against one another and the valve openings 33 are inregister with the valve openings 19 and 23, upon the coupled cars.

Projecting outwardly from the edge of each inner cup 24 is a lockingtongue 34 having its outer edge turned outwardly at a right angle, asshown at 35. The locking tongue 34 is adapted for interlockingengagement with a locking'jaw 36 projecting outwardly from the flange 25of the inner cup, with which the first cup is adapted for engagement.The locking jaw 36 also has its outer edge 37 turned at a right angle toreceive t-hereinthe right angled edge 35 of the locking tongue,

Engaged around each of the rods 11 and upon opposite sides of the guides3 are the tension springs 38 which are adapted to allow the rods to movein opposite directions and automatically return said rods to theirnormal positions. The springs 38 are spaced away from the guides 3 bymeans of the spacing washers39 upon the rods 11 to the opposite sides ofthe guides. The rods 11 are also held in substantially horizontalpositions by means. of the tension springs 38 and are movable verticallybetween the arallel arms of the guides 3 for proper ad ustment. Thedownward movement of the rods 11 between the parallel arms of the guides3 is limited by means of the adjusting yoke 40 fitting around the guides3 and held in adjusted position there.- upon by the cam latch 41, thecurved handle 42 of which is engaged against one of the parallel membersof said guide when the cam is in position to hold the yoke 40 againstmovement. The yoke 40 carries between its parallel portions, inwardly ofthe parallel arms of the guide 3, a bearing block 43, upon which thelower rod 11 is adapted to bear.

Secured to the outer surface of each outer cup 13 is a plurality offingers 44, the outer portions 45 of which are directed outwardly at anangle to the portion secured to the cup and serves to guide the outercups 13,

properly against one another, during the operation of coupling the cars.

Running parallel with the outer end of each rod 11 and secured to theouter face of the outer cups. 13, a short distance from the outer endsof the rods 11, are the finger directing plates 46 which co-act with theouter ends of the rods 11 to direct the fingers 44, tween the directingplates 46 and the ends of the rods 11, as will be clearly apparent.

The operation is as follows: The cars are coupled together in the usualmanner, the car coupler members 2 properly interlocking with oneanother. As the car coupler members 2 move toward and engage one anotherthe cups of the train line pipe coupler certain of said fingers passingbeare also brought toward one another and forced together, the guidefingers 44 serving to properly guide the outer cup 13, in

the proper directions, the rods 11 swinging freely between the parallelarms of the guides 3. i

It will be understood that the inner cups 24 project beyond the outercups 13 when in unlocked position. Therefore, the outer circular edgesof the inner cups 24 and the heads 32 of the valve tubes 30 engage oneanother and the turned edges 35 of the looking tongues 34 engage againstthe flanges 25, before the outer cups 13 come in contact with oneanother. As the outer cups 13 continue to move toward one another afterthe engagement of the heads 32-, said heads and inner cups are forcedwithin the outer cups 13 against the tension of the valve closing andinner cup cont rolling springs 26, forcing the valve tubes 30 fartherinto the cylinders 14 and causing the inner cups 24 to rotate as theydisappear in their travel into the outer cups 13. When the cups arelocked together, the valve tubes 30' will be in such positions thattheir openings 33 will be'opposite the valve openings 19 and 23 toallowethe passage of fluid such as air, steam, etc., through the trainline pipe sections carried the different cars.

The locking tongues 34 and jaws 36 will serve to properly lock and holdthe cups in coupled position (as shown in Figs. 1 and 6), against thetension of the springs 28, while the car coupler members 2 are ininterlocking engagement with one another. The tension springs 38 willresiliently hold the parallel rods 11 in proper position and equalizethe strain upon the opposite sides of the guides 3, within which therods 11 are mounted for movement.

Owing to the fact that the rods 11 are vertically adjustable within theguides 3, it will be evident that cars of various sizes and having theirtrucks of different distances above the roadbed, may have their trainline pipes readily coupled together, when equipped with this form ofcoupler.

Should the cars be uncoupled for any reason, the cups 13 and 24 will bedrawn from one another by means of the tension springs 38, without theliability of breaking the parts and the inner cups 24 will be forced totheir outermost position by means of the valve closing and inner cupcontrolling springs 28, said springs 28, also serving to close thevalves by forcing the valve tubes 30 outwardly with the inner cups 24.

Owing to the construction and cooperation of the various parts, it willbe evident that this train line pipe coupler will be highly efficient inuse and that the cars upon which the members of the coupler are carried,may readily turn independently of one 6 another or may descend or ascenda steep grade without in the least interfering with the operation orefliciency of the coupler or causing the parts thereof to separate. Itwill also be apparent that this train line pipe coupler may be easilyinstalled upon the rolling stock now in use at a very reasonable cost.

What I claim is;

1. The combination with a draw bar; of a supporting guide, a brace forsaid guide, cup carrying means working on said guide, an outer cupcarried by said cup carrying means, an inner cup within the outer cup, astationary cylinder carried by said outer cup, a movable valve tubecarried by said inner cup and adapted for movement within the cylinder,and means for adjusting the cup carrying means within the guide.

2. Adevice of the class described comprising guides, means for bracingthe guides, cup carrying rods engaged through said guides, outer cupscarried by said rods, inner cups within the outer cups, cylinderscarried by said outer cups, valve tubes carried by said inner cups, saidcups being adapted for engagement with one another, means for guidingsaid outer cups, and means for rotating the inner cups as they engageone another to lock said inner cups in engaged position, said inner cupsbeing adapted to force the valve tubes carried thereby into thecylinders during the interlocking engagement of said inner cups, andtension springs to either side of the guides to relieve the cups ofstrain.

3. A device of the class described comprising an inner cup and an outercup, means for supporting said cups beneath a car truck, a second innercup and outer cup and means for supporting said cups be neath a cartruck, said cups carried by each car being adapted for engagement withthe cups carried by the other car, a cylinder carried by each outer cup,means for connecting said cylinders with the train line pipe of the carbeneath the truck of which said cylinder is supported and valve rodscontrolled by the inner cups for obtaining communication between thetrain line pipe of the two cars when the cups of said cars are engagedwith one another.

4. A train line pipe coupler comprising a rigid cup and a movable cupwithin said rigid cup, connecting rods for carrying said cups, saidrigid cup being secured between said rods, a guide for said rods, meansfor holding said rods in adjusted position within said guide, said rodsbeing adapted for reciprocating movement through said guide, means forresiliently controlling said movement, said inner cup beingadapted to beforced inwardly, means for compelling said cup to rotate during itsmovement inwardly, means for returning said cup to its outerposition,and a,valve rod adapted to be &

moved with said inner cup to register with a valve opening when saidinner cup is in its innermost position.

5.- The combination with a car coupler draw bar; of a guide dependingtherefrom, means connected with the guide and the draw bar for bracingsaid guide, cup carrying bars positioned through said guide, means forresiliently retaining said bars in position through said guides, a cupcarried between the outer end of said bars, a movable cup within thefirst cup, a cylinder carried by the first cup, flexible connectingmeans connected with the cylinder and adapted for connection with atrain line pipe, said cylinder having a valve opening said cylinder toprotherein, packing for a valve tube carduce an air tight cylinder,

ried by the second cup and adapted for In testimony whereof I havesigned name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

v WILLIAM M. sMITii; Witnesses: I

G. W. Korr, W. M. TAYLOR.

